Extension handle for cement finishing tools



Feb. 8, 1966 J, EQ GnasoN ETAL EXTENSION HANDLE FOR CEMENT FINISHING TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1963 0a i EM we a mm Feb- 8 1965 J. E. GIBSON ErAL 3,233,943

EXTENSION HANDLE FOR CEMENT FINISHING TOOLS Filed Sept. 6, 1963 2 sheets-Sheet 2 3,233,948; EXTENSION HANDLE FR .CEMENT FINISHIllG-4 TQLS James E. Gibson, 3945 W.. Ave. 43', Los Angeles 4L, Calif., and Samuel-N. Summers, La Crescenta, Calif.; said Summers assigner to saidA Gibson Filed Sept. 6, 1963,. Ser. No. 307,052 2 Claims.. (Cl. 306-49) This invention relates to concrete surfacev finishing tools and more particularly-,to an extension handle means therefor.

The principal objects of the invention are: to provide an extension handle means .that can be. quickly attached to and detached from the normal hand held tool'sffor fin-ishing cement surfaces such as floors, walks and the like; to provide a toolhandle engaging means of the above character which is capable of engagement with the tool handles regardless of whether the tool handles are supported at oneendn or both ends; to provide an extension handle of the above character which permits movement of the-` extension handle relative to the tool held thereby around axes which are at right angles to each other together with means [for affording variable. frictional resistance to such movements; andto provide an extension handle means for cement finishing tools in which all of the foregoing objectives are realized in practice and which is simple and' sturdy in construction and effective for its intended'purpose.

With-the above objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides iu the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangementVV of parts described, =by way of exam-ple, of the following specification of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being 'had'. tothe accompanying drawing which form a part of said lspecification and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the said presently preferred embodiment of the invention attached to a cement edge finishing tool of the. type having the handle thereof supported at both ends,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 with the finishing tool elimina-ted,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the device as shown in FIG. 3 and with the tool handle gripping jaws open for engagement with the finishing tool handle means,

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view partly in section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 1 showing details of the means by ywhich the device is clamped to a tool handle,

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the device showing the attachment thereof applied to the cement surface finishing tool known as a iioat said tool being of the type having the handle thereof supported at its forward end only, and

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational -view of the invention as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a rigid long handle 1 which may be of wood as shown or which may also be of light tubular metal. At its forward end, the handle 1 carries a meta-l ferrule 2 in which the arms of a yoke 3 are secured by suitable means such as the rivet 4. The yoke arms straddle one end of a block 5 and are pivotally secured thereto by a .bolt 6 passing therethrough and carrying a wing n-ut 7 by which the yoke arms may be caused to clamp the block 5 with a desired degree of tightness.

rc 3,233,948 ce Patented. Eeb. 8,; 1966 The block 5 is provided with a bore 8 extending therethrough and in which bore the threaded portion9 of a locking Ibolt lilvextends with the threaded end of the bolt projecting-beyond the side of the block 5' and carrying a washer 11 and a wing nut '12 towhich further reference will fbe made. Loosely mounted-on the -body of the bolt 10 and spaced slightly inwardly-of the block- 5 is a first tool handleY engaging jaw 13 restrainedagainst movement axially of the bolt by, enga-gement with nuts 14. and 1'5- at each side of the jaw while allowing-the jaw y13r freed-omite turn on the bolt. Also loosely mounted on the boltj 10' adjacent tothe head endthereof is a second tool handle engaging jaw 1:6n -which is a mirrorv image duplicate of the jaw 13.' Each of the jaws 13 and 16 is Iformed of a strip.` lof; resilient metal and is provided with a hole 17 adjacent. to one end 18y thereof throughwhich the body of the bolt lil-extends, said ends adjacent tosaid holebeingbent aty right angles towardeach other to `for-rn tool rib-engaging members' 19; The jaws- 13 and 16 are sufficiently long so that the opposite ends 2t), 20 thereof can engage one support S of the handle H of a toolT while the ends 1'8, 118 thereof are engaging the other handle support S as Ibest shown in-EIGS. land 2. Preferably, the' support engaging faces of the ends 20, 20 of the jaws are serrated as-at, 21. Between the engagement of .the jawsl 1'3 anda16with the bolt 10 andthe ends 20, 20 thereof, the jaws are curved'outwa-rdly from each other as at. 232', 22 fora purpose to be later referred to.

Alsogmounted onand surrounding. the bolt 10 and-extending between the opposed faces of thel jaw- 13randf the block 5 isaheavy compression spring 23 of sufficient diameter: to surround-the nut 114;l saidspring normally tending lto:move theblock 5 away from the jaw 13 and providing frictionalresistance tof movement of the handie 1 about the bolt. 10y by a force derived from adjustment. of the wing nut. f12. The head end ofthe bolt 10 beyond the outer face of the jaw 16 carries a cross pin 24 on which is pivoted a cam lever 25 formed of a piece of sheet metal doubled on itself and straddling the bolt head, said lever having a camming face 26 of gradually increasing radial dimension as it is moved to tool clamping position `and a handle 27 by which it may be swung on the cross pin 24. Having reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, FIG. 4 shows the device open ready for installation on the finishing -tool handle. The finishing tool is inserted first between one end of the jaws and then the other so that the handle supports S and S are received between the jaws and then the lever 25 is swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in these figures causing the jaws 13 and 16 to grip the hand-le supports and by the resilience of the portions of the jaws between the supports S and S to clamp the ltool tightly between the jaws; it being understood that prior to such time, the jaw 13 will have been adjusted by the lnuts 14 and 15 into such proximity 4with relation to the ja-w 16 and the cam ylever 25 that secure locking of the device on the tool will be achieved. The tool can then be employed to finish the concrete surface with the user in a standing position and also permits portions of the concrete surface to be finished which could not be otherwise reached. As soon as the work with one tool is completed it can be detached from the handle means and the next tool to be employed quickly attached.

Referring finally to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown the use of the device as an extension handle for a float F having 'a handle H supported at its forward end only by support S" and having a central longitudinal stiffening rib R on the upper surface of the blade B. For such tools, the jaws .13 and 16 are swung on the bolt 10 to a vertical position with the jaw ends 19, 119 engaging opposite sides of the rib R and vwith the handle H received-in the opposed curved portionsZz, `2,2 of the jaws,

the ybolt Vltlbeing thus positioned between the points of engagement iwith the rib R and handle H'. Operation of the lever 25 causes the jaws 13 and 16 to resiliently grip the ribiR and handle lH-thus,makingthel oat 'avail-V able for long handle use. It istofbe noted that the. dei,

vice is thus adapted .for Vimmediate attachment tothe two at-opposite ends of said block,

passages inesaid block to adj-ustaibly .secure sa-id block in saidyoke, an elongated second bolt passing through said other-block passageandf being,'adjustably secured thereto,

, toolfigripping means includ-.ing= duplicate?l shaped jaws, a

`general types of handles `on handnishin'g toolsfor` cement surfaces without any change.

` ByV-rneans of this Ainvention, the user 'does not need to carry oneset ofy tool-s for handvuse and anothersetfof too-ls with long handles andfsince the device is quiokly attached and detached, only one vlong handle need `lue A added to his set of tools. I'he friction of the engagement of the yoke SWith theblook 5 andthe block '5 with the tool for movement about the' axis of the bolt 10 can'be adjusted by the'respective 'wing nuts t-osuit the preference of the individual user, the-friction .being such 4thatlthe.y tools can be liftedvifrom-the surfaoeina mannerfwhich doesvnot disturb the smoothness of the soft cement.

Thusthere has lbeenrcreated an extension handle for While'the foregoing specification and drawings :have

disclosed a presently 4preferred embodiment of the inventionV .by Way of example, the invention is not to be deemed to lbe, limited to` they precise -details thusrdisclosed, and =it will :befunderstoodthat the invention z-includes, as well,

all such changes and ,modifications in `'the parts, and -in the construction, combination and varrangement of parts as Vvshall come withinthe purviewof the appended claims.

We claim: e 1;. An extension handle having a ferrule rigidly attached at one end thereof' anda yoke immovably mounted to said ferrule and having opposed holes in the free end,`

a quick detachable clamping means secured to said yoke comprising a block having Ytwo passage through 'it,said Y 40 THOMASV -F CALLAGHAN, Examiner.

passages being ,directed` transversely to each other and Aholein each jaw of-said ;clamp means, said second bolt beingrdisposed through saidholes, meansV .immovallply `securing 'one of- Asaid jaws .tosaid bolt, resilient means unging saidfjaw away from,sa=id; rigidly 4mounted` block and 'a cam lever-attached .to oneend :of said second `bolt 'wherebysaid, jawswmay be moved to closed v position to grip a tool. Y Y

2.1 An extension handle as; claimed in claim 1 in 'which Vsaid secondv bolt'has -nut means threaded thereon and located-against said blocklon therside remote ,from said,

jaws whereby said nut meansimay ybe turned `to vary the position'ofysaidbolt relative to said block.

i References Cited hyf Ythe Examiner Y UNITED "STATES PATENTS CARL W.` ToMLIN, Primary Examiner.

said block being positioned ibetween the arms ofsaid yoke,` arbolt passing through the opposedholes in saidwyoke and through one of said 1 

1. AN EXTENSION HANDLE HAVING A FERRULE RIGIDLY ATTACHED AT ONE END THEREOF AND A YOKE IMMOVABLY MOUNTED TO SAID FERRULE AND HAVING OPPOSED HOLES IN THE FREE END, A QUICK DETACHABLE CLAMPING MEANS SECURED TO SAID YOKE COMPRISING A BLOCK HAVING TWO PASSAGE THROUGH IT, SAID PASSAGE BEING DIRECTED TRANSVERSELY TO EACH OTHER AND AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BLOCK, SAID BLOCK BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE ARMS OF SAID YOKE, A BOLT PASSING THROUGH THE OPPOSED HOLES IN SAID YOKE AND THROUGH ONE OF SAID PASSAGES IN SAID BLOCK TO ADJUSTABLY SECURE SAID BLOCK IN SAID YOKE, AN ELONGATED SECOND BOLT PASSING THROUGH SAID OTHER BLOCK PASSAGE AND BEING ADJUSTABLY SECURED THERETO, TOOL GRIPPING MEANS INCLUDING DUPLICATE SHAPED JAWS, A HOLE IN EACH JAW OF SAID CLAMP MEANS, SAID SECOND BOLT BEING DISPOSED THROUGH SAID HOLES, MEANS IMMOVABLY SECURING ONE OF SAID JAWS TO SAID BOLT, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID JAW AWAY FROM SAID RIGIDLY MOUNTED BLOCK AND A CAM LEVER ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID SECOND BOLT WHEREBY SAID JAWS MAY BE MOVED TO CLOSED POSITION TO GRIP A TOOL. 